


Happily Ever After

by RaceUlfson



Series: Hero [2]
Category: Final Fantasy VIII
Genre: Babies, M/M, Mild Angst, Post Game, Seifer takes advantage, Snark, Squall is a bit kinky, attempting real life, we used to call this lemon, wow I used to write a lot more smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-15
Updated: 2014-04-15
Packaged: 2018-01-19 11:12:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1467394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaceUlfson/pseuds/RaceUlfson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The days and weeks immediately following Hero, in which Seifer and Squall discover that happily ever after is trickier than they thought.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Happily Ever After

**Author's Note:**

> Beware if yaoi below. And all throughout this fic. Also Squall is a bit of a kink so some of the lovemaking has a slightly dub-connish vibe.

At the end of every fairy tale the narrator tells you, "They all lived happily ever after." Like there's only one bad thing in your entire life to overcome, and once you do that and find your true love, everything is peaches and roses from then on.

What I want to know is, who are these people and what are they smoking?

Sure, it started out okay. Squall got me out of Galbadian Prison, and out of the Garden's clutches, too. I was going to move to Esther and go to med school. He was going to take a leave of absence and study GFs. We were going to spend all our free time fucking.

Happily ever after.

Galbadia, to save face, demanded that Seifer Almasy be gone in 3 days and never soil their soil again. 

Fine by me, buncha losers.

The current president, Deling Jr., was just pissed because I lost to Squall and Galbadia wasn't ruling the world right now. Oh, and that killing his father thing. Junior’s pimpled ass would still be at school if it weren't for Edea and me. Is he grateful? Noooooo.

So there I was, not exactly a prisoner, trying to take my damned finals while cramming for the entrance exams. I don't like tests and I don't test well, so I knew I was really going to have to bust my hump.

Squall volunteered to handle the logistics of our move.

Big mistake.

He packed all his worldies in a number ten envelope and then took possession of my apartment. You'd think Squall'd have a pretty good idea of what packing my stuff would entail - he'd been cleaning the place for about two weeks.

Squall lugged in about a pallet of fold up document boxes, the kind with the matching lids and neat little spaces to write what's in the box. He had color-coded stickers and permanent markers and manifest lists and I swear to Hyne I would not have been surprised if everything ended up bar-coded and shrink wrapped.

My books, laptop, and assorted notes were spread out all over the dining room table, which is really too nice a term for the ugly faux wood bastard. Squall shooed me back over to my desk, commandeering the table for sorting and packing purposes.

I hunkered at my little desk, stacking things in precarious inverted pyramids, and grumbled about anal-retentives taking over the world. I gave up and moved over to the couch, where at least I could stretch out. I was happily memorizing a list of fungal pathogens when I was hit with an armload of dirty laundry.

"Hey!" I threw a sock back at Squall.

"What are you doing there? I thought you had to study?" He picked up the sock and carried it away.

"I am studying!"

Squall came back with a laundry basket and dumped that on top of me. "Doesn't look like it to me."

"These are clean! Don't mix them up!"

He stood with his hand on his hip and gave me The Look. "That can't be clean, it was all over the floor."

I rolled my eyes. "The stuff on the floor by the bed is clean. The stuff in the grunge corner by the bathroom is dirty."

Squall frowned at my favorite sweatshirt, the one with the ripped out sleeves. "You're right. I just washed this shirt the day before... a couple days ago. Why was it on the floor?"

"I dumped it off the bed when I was changing the sheets."

"Wadding the sheets up and throwing them in the corner does not constitute 'changing'. And what is it that is all over them?"

I grinned at him. "Whipped cream, remember?"

Twenty-one years old and still blushes like a schoolgirl. I love it.

"If you're not going to study, help me in the bedroom." Squall swept away.

"Anytime." I followed him as far as I could get into the bedroom.

Squall's idea of packing seemed to involve taking everything out and dumping it on the floor. He settled down in the one bare spot so I moved up to sit on the dresser.

It belatedly occurred to me that Squall's experience with moving was a purely military function and as such had nothing to do with real life. I shrugged mentally. I'd learned, he could learn.

"Packing," I said informatively, "involves putting things in boxes, not strewing them all over the place."

"Studying," Squall replied as he made notes on his handheld, "is done at a desk, and typically requires the eyes to be open."

Hyne, he never could take criticism.

I snagged a box out of its box and began to assemble it, hoping Squall would take the hint. There was a trick to it, but I'd get the hang of it any second now.

Squall emptied the contents of my closet onto the bed, spoiling my plans for the afternoon. At this rate, I was better off hitting the books.

I turned the neobox another way and tried folding a different flap. It was cheaply made, even for cardboard, because it tore off in my hand. I stuffed the extra piece down against the wall, behind the dresser. Who needs an extra-reinforced box for clothes, anyway?

"I'll need about 3 of those boxes," Squall said muffledly from somewhere in my walk-in closet.

"I'm workin' on it!"

He sighed. "Do you need some help?"

"No I do not need your fucking help to put together a thrice cursed box!"

Squall stuck his head out. "If you're not going to help, you could at least go study."

I love him. I do. Honest.

"Fiiiiiiiiine," I hissed, throwing away the mangled cardboard. "I'll go do that, shall I?" I stalked back to the living room and threw myself down on top on the mingled clean and dirty laundry.

I settled in and picked up my books. The couch was always pretty lumpy so the laundry just added an ambiance, the lovely smell of detergent and overripe yours truly. I stuffed a couple shirts under my head and cracked the books. 

I was just getting into subtracting the square root of b squared minus four times a times c when I caught Squall in my peripheral vision toting my other dining room chair into the bedroom.

It took a while to perk through, but I suddenly got a flash of Squall going after the high shelves in the dark far reaches of that closet. Squall standing on his toes on that rickety chair, abusing legs that were actually no more than bone fragments held together with skin, magic and stubbornness.

"Squaaaallll," I said, getting up off the couch.

"What?"

"Leave that high shit for me, okay?" We both gained a few inches since the Ultimecia days, but I'm still a good 5 inches taller.

"What?"

I could see him through the door, deep in the closet. Squall had emptied the lower shelf and was having to really stretch to reach the stuff on the upper one. He could hear me talking, I guess, but couldn't make out what I was saying.

Squall turned slightly, looking at me questioningly. He rested his hand on the lower shelf, to steady himself.

What he didn't know and I did is that the lower shelf wasn't nailed down, but had been held in place by the weight of the crap stacked on it. When Squall leaned on the shelf, it tilted, hitting the upper shelf, and bringing both heavy wooden boards and all the accumulated shit stored on them down on him.

Squall threw his arms up to protect his face and fell backwards into my arms.

We went down together. I wasn't fast enough to roll over on top of him, but fortunately only the lighter stuff bounced enough to hit us. I laid there amidst the clothes, shoes, old magazines, papers and assort crap one acquires in four years’ time and tried to get my heart rate and breathing under control.

"Damn, Almasy, you have an amazing amount of shit." Squall twisted in my arms so that he was lying on top of me, facing me. He grinned at me, damn adrenalin junkie.

"Shut up," I wheezed. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." He stretched out both legs and waggled his feet experimentally. "Yeah, nothing broken."

"You sure?"

He looked at me, gray eyes puzzled. "Yeah. What-?"

"Good." I swatted him as hard as I could on the swell of his ass.

Squall yelped and struggled to get away, but I had a good grip on him. "What the fuck?!"

I spanked him again, and then a couple more times for good measure. He thrashed and almost kneed me in the groin, but I got his arm behind his back and managed to hold both his wrist and a handful of his hair with my left hand. My right hand kept on soothing my nerves by reddening his ass. "Never." Spank. "Scare." Spank. "Me." Spank. "Like that again!" Spank spank spank.

He squirmed and cursed, but I knew I didn't have the leverage to really hurt him, and besides, he was wearing those leather pants for protection. Was did catch my attention was the increasing bulge in the front of said leather pants, which was rubbing up against me quite nicely, thank you.

I stopped spanking and started massaging. Squall made a purry noise deep in his throat and lifted his hips. I let go of his arm and slid my left hand under him to massage there.

Squall slid both hands under my shirt, pushing it up to my armpits. He licked his way up my belly towards my nipples, all the while grinding into my hands.

With only major difficulty I got his pants unbuttoned and slid down past the curve of his ass. I gave Squall one more smack on bare skin for good measure. He arched and pouted, but his beautiful cock was rock hard. I pulled him down for a lengthy kiss and he tried to eat me alive, kissing and lipping and suckling everywhere.

Squall learned I don't like teeth. Someday I'll get the balls to tell him why.

I kissed across the scar I gave him, wishing I could make it and all the other pain I caused go away. Squall smiled into my kisses and rubbed his face on mine before sliding back down my body to my nipples. He suckled there for a while as he unfastened my jeans and then moved lower.

"Okay?"

"Hyne, yes," I growled, pushing his head down where I wanted attention.

He took me in his mouth and did wonderful things with is tongue. I was briefly jealous of whoever taught him to do that. Ah, well, Squall was mine now. I reached back under him and stroked him slowly, watching his eyelids flutter as he concentrated on pleasuring me.

I was also working on getting him completely out of his pants. Once I had that accomplished, I forced myself to stop him and his talented mouth. I positioned my saliva slick cock and pushed into his velvet heat.

Squall arched back and balanced himself by resting both hands behind him on my thighs. I grabbed him firmly by the base to keep him from coming too fast. With my other hand, I teased, rubbing his cock, cupping his balls, and stroking the insides of his thighs.  
Since I was not moving, Squall sighed and rocked his hips. I let him pump up and down on me a few times before I took over.

He was shivering under my touch, but I wanted Squall in a position that would put less strain on his legs. I made him sit flat on me, legs stretched out in front to either side of me. I moved my arms to his lower back and pulled him up into the rocking chair position. This way I could pull him close to kiss him or let him fall back so I could watch him writhe.

And Squall writhes beautifully.

Each gentle rock of our hips thrust me further into him and rubbed his cock up against me. Since I no longer had a grip on him, it wasn't long before Squall was bucking and clenching, which set off some bucking of my own. I watched the rosy flush spread over his pale skin, and his nipples peak and darken to match his lips. I leaned forward to capture them in another kiss.

Squall sighed and wrapped his arms around me, nestling his head under my chin. I pulled out of him and rubbed his back, murmuring words of love.

Then the rest of the closet shelves fell with a crash.


	2. The Rinoa Fiasco

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes after the handsome Prince saves the beautiful girl, they don't live happily ever after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mild smut and fluff. Based on a true story, names were changed to make it more interesting.

I was lying naked and prone sideways across the bed. I rested my head on my lover's thigh, idly fluffing the red gold curls found there.

My lover, who was reading a book, ignored me.

I leaned over and gently nibble kissed along my lover's shaft. It grew in appreciation.

My lover, however, bonked me on the side of the head with the book. "Stop that," Seifer said.

"Just trying to help." I made a show of rubbing my head although I wasn't hurt in the slightest. "People learn better when they're relaxed."

"People remember things best in the same state of mind they were in when they learned them. You're not going to like it if I hire my staff based on cocksucking abilities."

Did the subject change when I wasn't paying attention? I gave him my best blank look.

Seifer continued, pretending to talk to someone. "Well, Ms. Jerril, it seems your condition is... er.." Seifer mimed pushing a button. "Reno! Get in here and under the desk!"

He smiled at the nonexistent client, an expression that turned to surprise when I joined the scene by playing 'Reno'. "MMmmm... er... yes... " He gasped. "It appears, Ms. Jerril, that you have a broken arm..."

"Could be fun," I said.

"Not jealous?"

"I could quit my day job."

Seifer pulled me up so he could hug me, not letting me get too distracting. "Oh, no, I need you for the night shift."

I gave him my best pretty pout and Seifer gave in and kissed me until I was breathless.

Then he reached for his book.

"Haven't you studied enough?" I swear I was not pouting for real.

Seifer sighed and gave me the 'you've missed the point' look. "I only have three days to finish up the semester, take my finals, and get out. Two days, now."

Seifer was stressing over the entrance exams. I knew he was afraid of failing, but I also knew Esthar was drooling to get someone with his practical experience and scholastic history. And Seifer never failed written exams.

"I know, that's why I sent you here, to the Hotel, so you could study all damn day while I packed your apartment. I couldn't get a thing done with you under foot."

"You couldn't get anything done? You sent Selphie to guard me!"

The Galbadians were pretending that Seifer was the most wicked person to appear in their fair land since Matron decided to show off her cleavage. Never mind the fact that he'd been there all along, saving lives. They wanted a 24-hour SeeD guard on him and I elected Selphie for today. I did feel a bit guilty about that, because Selphie was a pain in the ass on her best days. And lately... Better him than me, I was the one doing all the work.

I tried not to look sheepish. "Yeah, well, she's driving me nuts. Apparently women go insane when they're pregnant, and I think it's catching, because Irvine was almost as bad." I rolled over on my back. "You have a lot of stuff."

"Disposable income." Seifer reached for his books.

"No sales resistance. When we get to Esthar, I'm doing the shopping." Seifer had a waffle maker, a crepe maker and an omelet pan for Hyne's sakes. This from a man who had only coffee for breakfast 99% of the time. This was a man who needed to be kept away from infomercials.

"You've never been shopping in your life!"

"Untrue. Remember I dated Rinoa for 18 months."

Seifer considered this. "Okay, shoes. I'll give you shoe shopping."

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks... I do know the exact location and business hours of every shop that carries a woman's 6 ½ wide on the Galbadian continent."

"And when we need shoes, you can shop. If I can get my big feet in a woman's 6 ½ wide."

"What do you have against me doing the shopping?"

"Squall, what have you ever bought? Clothes from the Kink Catalog, maybe some jewelry for Rinoa, that's got to be it. I bet you've barely touched your salary."

"I have expensive tastes. In fast cars, mostly. Which reminds me, the new Boltas are coming out and the engine has..." I trailed off when I saw Seifer's face. He scared me, he was as pale as paper.

"No. No evil little sports car. Esthar's public transportation system is just fine."

"It's based on Odine-ian logic! Every third time you end up 6 miles from where you wanted to be with a bow on your knee and someone else's underwear in your pocket!"

That didn't even get a smile out of him, and it was my Father's best joke. "Seifer...?"

He closed his eyes. "Not until I stop having nightmares about pulling you out of a burning car, dead." He opened his eyes and looked through me. "Or worse."

Somehow I didn't think telling him I meant to wreck that time would make him feel better. Instead I snuggled closer. After a moment, he snuggled back, and I had hopes we were done talking and studying for the night.

"So... what happened after 18 months? Love charm wear off?"

I winced. That was a little too close to the truth, actually. "You really want to hear about what my dear friends affectionately refer to as 'The Rinoa Fiasco'?"

"With an intro like that, how can I resist?"

"You... never had sex with Rinoa, did you?"

"Never wanted to. Zone is more my type."

"Okay... I thought I was the first, but... Well, Rinoa is very romantic. She likes a big build up, perfect setting, lots of kissing, poetry, the whole frilly thing."

Seifer sniggered. "You? Reading poetry?"

I ignored him. "I was 17 years old. The word 'hole' got me hard."

"I remember it fondly."

"Jerk" I smacked him, just for practice. "I tried; I really did, the whole romantic hero bit, but Hyne's hips, every night? It was like she wanted to role-play a whole romance novel each time. It took forever just to get her steered to the bed, and even then it would be another few hours... then a quick fuck, a chaste smooch, and Rin wants to pet and snuggle and hear 'I love yous' but by then I was usually looking at getting maybe 3 hours sleep." I rubbed my scar. "It was just too much work."

"So you drifted apart?"

"My hand was easier, faster, and I got twice as much sleep. Eventually the chaste princess noticed she wasn't getting any either and decided we needed to 'work on our relationship'."

"Up there on the list of ‘Scary Things That Women Say'."

"Yeah... right between 'I'm late' and 'I'm here to conduct the audit.' Rin got together with her support group and they decided we needed a 'Romantic Getaway'."

"I thought too much romance was the problem?"

"The committee felt my input would cloud the issue, so I wasn't consulted. She wanted to go snow skiing near Trabia. I had never been, Rinoa had gone a few times. Selphie really talked it up and I was kind of looking forward to the trip. I thought, 'A quiet place where I don't have to get up at 6, maybe I'll get it more than once a night'. Rin was thinking more like snuggling in front of the fireplace sipping cocoa in designer après ski attire."

"Which she packed in her 8 piece matching luggage set, no doubt."

"No, it was a 3 day trip, so she had 11 pieces. And my carryon, which got left on the train." I sighed and flopped back on my back. Despite the fact that Seifer was extraordinarily easy to talk to, I was starting to regret volunteering the story.

Seifer reached over and mussed my hair. "You don't have to tell me. I can get it out of Selphie."

I looked up at him through my bangs. "Her version's funnier. Of course, she made up the parts she didn't know."

"Better keep talking, then." Seifer leaned back and waited.

I closed my eyes. "We got in late but that was okay. We could mess around a little and hit the slopes early the next day. But Rin said she was 'frazzled' from the trip and I discovered she'd booked separate bedrooms - to 'perpetuate the mystique'."

"What in Hyne's ass does that mean?"

"I dunno, I think it has to do with ripping off all your body hair with hot wax."

"To go snow skiing?"

"Hey, we were planning to get naked at some point. So I went to bed - alone - and I was up bright and early the next day." I smacked Seifer again, for the slow grin he gave me. "I underestimated Rinoa and her need for beauty sleep. Then she had to get ready to meet her public or some such crap. I guess back at the garden, I went to work and never figured out that when I met Rinoa for lunch that was her first appearance of the day."

"Did you ever get to ski?"

"We hit the slopes just after lunch. Rinoa steered us to the Chicabo slopes, and I thought, okay, I've never done this before, but she thinks I'm such a lamer I need to ski with the 6 year olds?"

"On the other hand, it would have been pretty funny to see you land on your butt on the Chicabo slope."

"I knew you'd be supportive. Rinoa talked me to death trying to give instructions, but we made it down the teeny little hill just fine, and it was kind of fun. I could tell a real slope would be real fun. But..."

Seifer guessed, "But Rinoa didn't want to go?"

"Worse. At the bottom of the Chicabo run we bumped into a group of her friends. I'm surprised the squealing didn't start an avalanche. They admired clothes, they admired skis, they admired me."

"Hyne, I admire you, too." Seifer proved it by kissing me again. I was more than willing to abandon the story, but he slapped me lightly on the ass. "Keep talking."

"I stood, and waited, and tried to listen, and watched everyone else have a great time skiing. I dropped a few hints..."

"Eye rolling, sighing and that thing you do where you sorta blow up into your bangs, huff." My best glacial glare fazed Seifer not in the least. "And, of course, you were standing with one hand on your hip."

It is possible for your lover to know you too well.

"I was watching some big clouds roll in. It was starting to get dark, and all I had done all day was one run on the Chicabo Slope. Finally, I just interrupted the quacking and squeaking and told Rin I was going to go ski. Big mistake."

Seifer arched an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Rinoa suddenly decided she'd had enough gossip and she wanted to ski, too. I said, 'Fine' and headed for the intermediate slopes. Rin had a fit and tried to drag me back to the Chicabo run. She said I'd get killed on the big drop like I was some baby. I tried to explain that I was pretty athletic and I thought I could handle it. Meanwhile everyone and his mother is walking by, laughing their asses off because Squall Leonhart can't leave the kindergarten area. It was humiliating."

Seifer made a muffled noise and I knew he was trying not to laugh.

"I went to the intermediate slope and Rinoa went with me. The light was going and they announced on the lift up that this would be the last run of the day. Rin bitched and moaned the whole way up, and the more she talked the more stubborn I got. I was going to go down that slope if it killed me."

"Which is exactly what she was afraid of."

"No, she was afraid she was going to die. Rinoa Heartily cannot ski." I sighed. "Once you're off the lift, there aren't a lot of choices, and that's when Rin finally decided to tell me the truth - she'd never even been on the Chicabo Run before." I rubbed my scar. "I told her it would be okay, I'd stay with her, we'd take it easy, make down the mountain, no problem. I went about 10 feet and no Rin! I turned around and she was crying."

"I assume you comforted her like a good Knight should?"

"Fuck, no. It was getting dark. Hindsight, I should have gone with my first instinct."

"Sleep and carry her down?"

He knows me so well.

"I told her a storm was moving in and we were not spending the night on the Hyne cursed mountain so she better start skiing. I got maybe 15 feet and no Rinoa. This time, when I turned around, she threw her ski pole at me, like a spear. Just missed me."

Seifer sniggered but tried to hide it in a cough.

"So I yelled 'whathefuck?' and she threw the other one at me, which I had to dodge. She screamed at me that it was impossible and I was going to get us both killed. I told her she was going to get us killed and to pick up her Hyne damned poles because she sure as fuck couldn't ski without them."

I ran my hand through my hair, pushing it out of my eyes. "I started over towards the lift, to see if anyone was around, and a ski flew past my head. Then the other ski, and there was Rinoa, having a hysterical fit with screaming and crying in the twilight after throwing her equipment away and then... it started snowing."

"Just got better and better, huh?"

"Turns out the fit was a good thing because Ski Patrol heard her. Of course, they heard her calling me filthy names, but that was okay. They came up with a snowmobile and rescued us. Well, they rescued Rinoa, who clung and blubbed and they all gave me weird looks. I heard one of them ask Rin if I was trying to kill her. She said yes!" I closed my eyes and shook my head. "I half expected headlines, you know, 'Former Hero Turns Killer!'"

"Reckless Run Results in Rage! SeeD Slays Sorceress on the Slopes!" Seifer can go all night with word games.

"I'm spilling my guts here. Pay attention."

"So what happened?"

"What do you think happened? Everybody gave me dirty looks and Rinoa and I didn't speak to each other for the rest of the trip. Which lasted an extra day thanks to the blizzard." 

I flopped over onto Seifer's chest. "We sort of made up after we got back to Garden, but it wasn't like before. One day I came in after a really shitty day at work and my room was transformed into some sort of harem thing. There was this gauzy shit hung all over, and a jillion candles, all kinds of food and flowers, and Rinoa, who looked damn fine in this sort of slave girl kinda thing that pushed her boobs up and showed a lot of leg..."

"You can spare me some details." Seifer said dryly.

"Rinoa told me that she had been selfish and she wanted to pamper and seduce me for a change."

"Didn't she know all she had to do was say 'Let's' and you were seduced?"

"No... She got me undressed and started massaging my hands with this fancy lotion. I'd had a really shitty day, did I mention that?"

Seifer nodded, quiet for once.

"By the time she got up to my shoulders, I was asleep. When I woke up, the flowers, the gauzy stuff, the food even was still there but Rinoa was gone. About a week later she e-mailed me to tell me we were through." I looked away, at nothing. "I couldn't make her happy and she left me."

Seifer grabbed me in a bear hug. "You make me happy, and if it's any comfort, I hate snow."

I snuggled. "Just don't rub my hands."

"How about if I rub something else?"

Later, I watched Seifer sleep. His golden hair was spread out on the pillow, and a little smile turned up the corners of his perfect mouth. He was hogging nine tenths of the bed, as usual.

I remembered a bit of a poem I used to read Rinoa. I think she thought it was about her, but she was wrong.

"I never saw so sweet a face  
As that I stood before.  
My heart has left its dwelling place  
And can return no more."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> from "First Love" by John Clare


	3. Finals and Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seifer works on his dream, Squall deals, and Selphie complicates matters.

I was not a nervous wreck. A little tense, maybe - you trying taking your graduation finals under armed guard - but not a wreck.

"Just leave all that crap in the apartment - the landlord can sell it to the ghouls."

"Don't be ridiculous," Squall said, helping me on with my jacket. "Those are your things."

"All I really need is Hyperion."

Squall plucked a chocolate brown hair off the shoulder of my jacket and shook his head. "I already have your 'blade safe." He stacked my books, notes, laptop and lunch in my arms.

I was surprised he didn't pin the bus fare to my shirt.

"After the exams Nida will take you to the rendezvous point and hand you over to Quistis who will drive you to Esthar."

"And you will be where?"

"Zell, Irvine and I are taking the Ragnarok and the furniture. I'll put it in storage at the palace."

"It's bad enough me taking money from your father to go to school, I don't want to live with him, too."

"We won't! Day after tomorrow we'll go apartment hunting, I promise."

"What about tomorrow?"

Squall's eyes gleamed silver at me, and he fluttered his lashes.

"OH!"

I had a lot on my mind, okay?

I clutched my stuff and backed out of the hotel room before Squall got me too heated up to think. Nida followed silently, although I caught a smirk.

Nida wasn't bad as a babysitter. He was so quiet you could forget he was there most of the time. Since one of Squall's other choices was Selphie, I felt truly blessed.

The first exam went well and we were let out for 15, largely because the instructor was missing his nicotine fix.

I eyed Nida's communicator. "Can I call Squall on that?"

He shrugged and handed it over.

"Leonhart." He sounded a little breathless.

"Hey, don't work too hard. You okay?"

"We had a little trouble with the entertainment center."

"It comes apart."

"I know that... now." In the background I thought I heard Zell hollering something. "Zell says he'll buy you a new one."

"Fine by me." I smiled into the com. "I thought I should tell you, I'm 20% closer to becoming an Estharian med student."

"Only 4 to go... I know you will ace this."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence. Watch your legs. Don't do any heavy lifting, okay?"

"Yes, Mother. I'll leave it all for Selphie."

We were just getting settled in for the second exam when the com chirped, startling me and Nida both. After a cautious greeting, he handed the communicator to me.

"How fond are you of the couch?" Squall said quickly.

"It's a pretty good couch, nice and long for snoozing on."

"Because Selphie just pissed all over it."

"Burn it."

Selphie must have wrestled Squall's com away from him, as her breathless, chirpy voice came over next. "Sorry, Sweetie. Irvy and I will buy you a new one... they had the waterbed parts blocking the -"

"No prob, Selph. Gotta go."

The day ground on. I survived 2 more exams and lunch with Nida, who's all right once you feed him and get him to talk to you a little. If I'd had more time I probably could have tamed him enough to have a real conversation.

In the middle of the lab practical the com chirped again. Nida moved off to the side, blushing under the hostile glares from the instructor and my fellow students.

I rushed through the last parts and cornered him. "Trouble?" I could tell there was.

"They were attacked by a dragon and had to make an emergency landing."

"A dragon attacked the Rag? What was it, Bahamut on a toot?" I shook my head. "Never mind, I know, it's their mating season. Was anyone hurt? Where are they?"

"They had to do some evasive maneuvers but Squall thinks they are on the northern coast of Centra. They are all okay but the Rag took some hits. Zell is checking out the damage now."

"What's the plan?"

"Squall said to stick to the itinerary. They will be just a little later getting to Esthar than he wanted, but even if it takes Zell the rest of the day to do the repairs they will still beat you and Quistis there."

I took a deep breath and told myself Squall could take care of himself. Three SeeDs in good health could handle just about anything. Besides, I knew for a fact Squall was junctioned, even if the others were off duty.

I did not need this just before my Calculus final. Math is not my long suit.

Too soon after I was staring at the Calc test from hell.

I can do this. I have to do this. It's not that hard, I told myself.

I looked around the room. Okay, if these losers can pass this, I can. My self just laughed, a shade hysterically. If anyone in this room passes this test, he's a damn genius.

Determined not to look bad, I picked up my stylus and

Jumped a foot when the com chirped.

Nida listened and then passed the com to me. I shook my head, bugging my eyes at him, and handed it back.

'Trying to take a test here', I mouthed at Nida.

Nida frowned and forced the com on me.

Okay, fine.

"Selphie's having a baby," Squall's voice said.

"You finally noticed?"

I could almost see him rolling his eyes. "Now. She's having a baby, now."

"Squall, I'm having a Calculus final that I need to pass to make the entrance requirements to Esthar."

The instructor drifted over. "Using one of your lifelines, Almasy?"

Nida interrupted my pithy comment with, "Official SeeD business."

The instructor looked skeptical but left when Nida patted the tiger claws at his belt.

"Seifer,” Squall said, sounding a bit desperate, "What do I do?"

"Do? You mean she's in Centra with you?"

"Seifer... why would I interrupt you if she wasn't here?"

"Okay. Unlike the movies, it takes a while usually for a woman to give birth. Make Selphie comfortable and take her to the closest hospital."

"The closest hospital is over 4 hours away," Squall growled.

"Let me talk to Selphie."

Selphie sounded a bit more breathless than before. "Hi, Sweetie."

And when did I become 'Sweetie'? "Selphie, when are you due?"

"Thirteen days. And Irvine is never on time for anything and you know I'm always late so I figured-"

"Selphie, are you in labor?"

"Kinda..."

"Selphie, I'm no expert but I do not think you can be 'kinda' in labor. How long have you been having contractions?"

"Since... early this morning."

I closed my eyes. "So it wasn't pee on the couch, was it, Selph?"

"No... that was my bag of waters bursting."

I managed to resist the urge to hit my head against the table. "Selphie, why are you not in Deling where your caregivers can help you?"

"Well... my doctor broke her silly arm and wrist in 3 places roller blading... and I hate her substitute... and if my baby has to be delivered by a stranger it may as well be in Esthar... and everyone else is going and I didn't want to miss the party... oh, I wasn't supposed to mention the party, it's a surprise. Forget I said that."

"Selphie, it was a bit irresponsible for you in your condition -"

"Don't yell at me! It's Squall's dumb old ship that broke! We were supposed to have been in Esthar hours ago! Now Zell says it's a least 3 more hours and I don't think I can hold it, even though Squall told me to."

I opened my eyes. I noticed the second question on the exam was just like the one on the practice test. It wasn't hard at all, just a little tricky.

"Seifer...?" Squall must have taken the com unit from Selphie. "What should I do?"  
"Deliver the baby. Better yet, make Irvine do it."

"What," Selphie said in the background, "he put it in so he has to get it out?"

"He's outside covering Zell. There are still dragons around; Irvine has all the distance attacks. ... Seifer, I cannot deliver a baby."

"Squall," I said, writing rapidly, "Are you saying you want me to try to deliver it? Over the radio?"

"I wish I'd had mine that way," the woman next to me muttered.

"Good, you've done this." I tried to hand the com to her, but she gathered up her stuff and moved further down the table.

The instructor came back over. "Mr. Almasy..."

"She's having a baby," I explained.

"Yes, well, since your contribution is over with, why don't you let her have the baby while you finish your exam?"

"It's not my baby!"

"My condolences." He pointed to the test papers.

Proving that I have matured over the years, I did not tell the old coot to kiss my ass. Instead, I ignored him and passed the com unit to Nida, who handed it right back.

"Not me, I'm gay."

"You are not!"

"I'm willing to learn." He folded his arms across his chest and looked at the radio as if it was going to spontaneously give birth, too.

"Mr. Almasy!"

"Seifer!"

"Squall, that baby is going to come whether you do anything or not. Just make Selphie as comfortable as possible, and get ready to catch."

"They don't shoot out like a watermelon seed!" my maternal test mate protested. She huffed and resolutely turned back to her exam, after getting glares from the instructor and me.

"Okay," Squall said doubtfully. "Leave the speaker on in case I need you."

I concentrated on the exam, which was turning out to be a piece of cake, and sorta half listened to Selphie groan and Squall curse. Sometimes Squall groaned and Selphie cursed. The entire classroom got to hear Selphie explain to Squall how she was going to tie a knot in Irvine's dick if she survived this.

I was blazing through the exam and feeling mighty good about myself. I was considering a particularly annoying variable when all kinds of commotion blared out of the speaker.

"Squall... is everything okay?"

There was a long pause and I thought maybe the com was malfunctioning. "No, it is not okay. Everything is so far from O.K. that I need another alphabet entirely."

"Give me a hint."

"No hints, Mr. Almasy!" the Instructor said.

"This isn't about calculus!"

He sniffed. "It's supposed to be."

Squall sighed. "Zell got the repairs done and we are charging up now. We should be in Esthar in two and one half hours."

"Hey, that's gr-"

"I informed Irvine about Selphie's situation and he got so excited he fell off the gangway. Zell thinks his ankle is broken."

Instinctively, I knew laughing was not my best choice. "Selphie is going to make this into a great story when it's all over."

"I don't want to deal with this. I don't want to be here. I want to be in Esthar, floating in my father's pool. At this point, I don't much care if it's face up or face down."

Squall is hard to cheer up but easy to piss off. My duty was clear. "If you can't handle it, Squirt, get Zell in there."

"... Hyne, I'd forgotten how much I hated it when you called me that."

"You gonna weenie out and let Zell have the glory?"

"Zell heard Selphie hollering and threatened to join a monastery. Besides, he's taking care of Irvine."

"Then run along, Squirt, you have a baby to deliver."

I was left with only the first problem, which was the one that stood my hair on end when the exam was passed out. I tried a couple of approaches in the margins, trying to get a grip on it.

"Seifer." Squall's voice had gone flat and cold, a sure sign of trouble.

"Mmm?"

"Something's not right."

What is he, psychic? I erased a fair amount of work and chewed my stylus. "What makes you say that?"

"Selphie's getting tired. I think she's starting to doze off."

I sat up so fast my chair slide back and hit the table behind me. "Women in labor do not doze off! Can you get her vitals?"

"Yeah, there's a blood pressure and temperature thing in the med kit. Her temp is okay but her pressure is dropping slowly."

"Not good, not good. Try Scan, first on Selphie and then see if you can target the baby. Meanwhile, let me talk to her."

"Hi, Sweetie." She did sound tired.

"Hey, Buttercup. Did your doctor mention anything about assisted delivery? Breeched position? Anything?"

"No... I asked 'cuz Irvy's so big, y'know, but she said I was perfectly healthy and it would be great. ... Seifer, it hurts a lot more than they said it would."

"I know, Babe, they lie to you about that. That's why there are so many only children around."

It was a pale shadow to her usual giggle, but at least she laughed.

And the instructor had to come put his two cents in. "Mr. Almasy."

"Don't start with me," I growled. I was trying to think what Squall could do about Selphie. There was no way they could make it to Esthar in time.

"Start with you? I am finished with you, Mr. Almasy! You have disrupted -"

Squall's voice, crisp with command. "Nida."

"Yes, Sir?" Nida even stood up straighter.

"If that fuck says one more word, kill him on my authority."

"Yes Sir." Nida put on his tiger claws and the instructor ran out of the room, to the light applause of my fellow students.

"Squall, you are not allowed to talk to any of my instructors ever again. What do you have for me?"

"Some sort of toxicity between Selphie and the baby, like a strange sort of status effect. The baby is losing health levels."

"Try Cura on the baby and Esuna on Selphie, then another scan."

I could hear Irvine murmuring encouraging things to Selphie, and I caught Zell telling Squall that he'd cast the Heals while Squall did the Scans.

I knew Zell had to be junctioned, too. It didn't make sense that he'd steal Shiva for Squall and let Quez rot.

"That helped but not for long."

"Can you get an image of the baby? A sense of position?"

"Yes." Squall whispered the scan spell again. "It's upside down, head pointed at, um, the exit, all wrapped up in its little cord."

I went as cold as Shiva's kiss. "Wrapped in the cord? The umbilical cord? Squall, the baby's strangling. You have to move the cord."

"How do I do that?"

"You're going to wait until between contractions and then carefully slide your hand inside next to the baby and gently move the cord from around its neck."

"...inside?" Squall said faintly.

"Yes. Keep casting Scan to guide you, and have Zell cast Cure and Esuna."

"... inside of... Selphie?!"

"Yes, and be ready because the odds are the baby will come right out."

There was a short silence during which I imagined Squall was either grossing out or steeling himself up. "Don't leave me."

"Never happen, Squirt."

What could I do? I kept up a running monologue on how everything was gonna work out fine and what a great job he was doing and what a brave girl Selphie was and all that crap.

Selphie and Irvine were moaning together, I dunno if it was some new birthing technique or if Irvine was having sympathy pain, the pussy. Finally Squall was satisfied the baby was freed and Selphie's next push brought the baby into Squall's hands and the world.  
A furious mewl of protest filled the air. The students around me cheered, even Nida clapped. The woman who wanted her kids phoned in blew her nose noisily. Over the speaker, I could hear Irvine and Selphie laughing and crying and Zell shouting "Booya!"

Softly, Squall whispered, " Seifer... Seifer... it's... hideous."

 

Quistis insisted on a quick side trip to visit a beaming Selphie and Irvine. Since Papa was on crutches, it was Zell, proudly chewing a blue bubble gum cigar, who introduced me to Trabian Kinneas Tilmitt.

So it was 24 hours exactly from the last time I'd seen Squall when I found my way into our suite in the Presidential Palace. Squall had fallen asleep, fully dressed, on top of the bed.

I kissed him, and started peeling him out of his clothes.

Squall creaked open one eye. "How did you do?"

"I aced it, I'm in." I could not help puffing up, and it only got worse when Squall shared his sweet smile with me. "We stopped by the hospital to get my student pass and to check on Selphie and Irvine. And drop off the enormous stuffed mog Quis made me sit with all the way from Fisherman' Horizon. The kid cleaned up nice. He's cute."

Squall rolled over to let me undo his belts. "All I have to say is, thank Hyne we're gay."

"I thought you liked girls?"

"Not anymore."

I rubbed Squall's belly and moved down to undo his zipper. "Was it that bad?"

"This was the move from Hell. First the entertainment center came apart suddenly all over the parking lot. Then the couch incident. Then the dragon and Centra and Selphie and Irvine breaking his fool ankle in 3 places. Galbadia had a fit because I threatened that teacher and -"

"Other than that, Lady Deling, how'd you like the Sorceress' speech?"

He blinked at me. "You telling Sorceress jokes?"

Since I had Squall undressed, I took my own clothes off. "Who better?"

"...whatever."

"You know, Ultimecia was an evil whacked out bitch, but she had a sense of humor." I crawled in bed next to my love. "An unfortunate fondness for knock knock jokes, but..."

"Knock knock?!"

"Who's there?"

"Oh, shut up!"

"Oh, shut up, who?"

Squall rolled his eyes. "Oh, shut up and kiss me."

And ever obedient, I did.


	4. Pools and Politics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seifer is introduced to Estharian society.

I can't say we spent the entire next day making love. For one thing, Squall and I were both exhausted, so sleeping took up a good 10 hours. Then there was eating and personal maintenance, although at least one of the showers and certainly the bath should probably be allocated to making out time.

It was a good day.

All too soon I was wake again, this time with Estherian sun stabbing me in the eyes, and it hit me that this was the day of Laguna Loire's big welcome party. I owed the guy; he and Squall got me out of Galbadia and the awaiting fair trial and certain execution. And Loire was gambling on me, not just the money he was pouring into my education, but also politically. I hoped he knew what he was doing. I wished to Hyne I did.

I pulled the pillow away from Squall's gunblade enhanced grip and hid my head under it. Squall rolled over with it and draped across my chest.

"Quit stressing," he mumbled.

"Easy for you to say," I grumbled, trying to smooth Squall's silky chocolate hair down and out of my face. "You're used to hanging with the President of the most powerful nation on Hyne's World."

"You know some pretty important people yourself."

"Yeah, but I don't think I can throw your Dad's legs in the air and get the same reaction." I met his eyes and could tell we were both thinking the same thing. Okay, that's just wrong. The guy's old enough to be my father for Hyne's sakes.

To change the subject, I beat Squall with the pillow and that led to some retaliatory tickling and that led to some other, more pleasurable activities. Some things you never get tired of.

I was lying there with Squall on top of me, idly scratching his back, when I saw the time and sighed. "We gotta get it together. I hate this political shit."

Squall snuggled. "They say when you meet new people you should imagine them naked."

"Sure, I need to be formally presented to the President of Esther with a hard on."

"Oh, I think you should wear more than that."

"I'll wear a smile to go with."

"Much better."

It occurred to me that I didn't have anything to wear. I felt like Rinoa, but it was true. "I don't own a tux," I told Squall. I didn't even own a tie.

Squall rolled his eyes at my expression. "It's a pool party. Wear your shorts."

So that is how I came to be formally introduced to President Loire and my new country of Esther wearing swim trunks and flip-flops. To my credit, the President himself was dressed in baggy cut offs, sandals and a deeply hideous tropical print shirt.

He greeted me with a half hug, half handshake and his typical breathless whisper. "I hope you don't mind I invited the Tilmits." Loire, true to Galbadian custom, used Selphie's name instead of Irvine's. "It's a welcome to Esther party and I felt we should welcome the New Addition, too."

So Loire neatly managed it that the kid stole most of the spotlight. Not even the most jaded of the press would rather badger me about old news when there was a perfectly adorable newborn to photograph. Trabian already had his daddy's smile, Hyne help us. Guard your daughters. Guard your sons, too.

Selphie helped the distraction by telling a truly hysterical recount of the Crown Prince delivering said treasure. Irvine, still on crutches, took the friendly ribbing from Loire and the others with his famous groin tightening scuff and smirk.

Quistis got her share of attention, mainly due to her swimsuit, or lack thereof. Something about a leggy blond in a teeny bikini causes every breath she takes to be an object of fascination for heterosexual men. Every deep breath, anyway. Even Squall looked twice.

Zell avoided taking his bow for fixing the ship and saving Irvine's fool neck by diving into the pool. I must say the hyper little guy looked the most natural of us all, with his surfer tan and sculpted body. And butt ugly low-slung jams. He and Loire must shop at the same spots. There can't be two sources with those fabrics. How many blind weavers can there be?

Squall dodged most of the questions from the press with far more grace and aplomb than his old "Whatever" and glare combo. I guess some of the Old Man's people skills were rubbing off. I could tell he was tensing up, when Selphie went into a recount of her and Irvine's wedding. The crowd was howling.

I made my way over to him. "Was it really that funny?"

Squall rolled his eyes. "Selphie's stories are always better than life."

I wanted to put my arm around him, but I wasn't too sure about Esther's official views on openly gay activities. Not that it could be too bad considering the President. It was Squall I didn't want to upset. He was already wearing his comfort clothes; all in don't touch me black. Some of the partygoers might have wondered that Squall wasn't dressed for swimming, but with his lily-white skin I could understand why. Also there were still some ugly scars he no doubt didn't want to explain.

Instead I leaned over and passed on the advice Loire had whispered in my ear as he formally presented me an hour or so ago: "Smile and try to look like you're having fun."

At least I got an eye roll out of that.

Loire called Squall over. He was standing by the edge of the pool, talking to some Name interviewer, one of those guys who had asked rude questions of so many famous people some of their importance had rubbed off. Or so he thought, anyway. Like most of the press there, he had hit the buffet and punch bowl at lot harder than had the invited guests.

Loire slung an arm around Squall's shoulder and I think was introducing his son to the Name. I couldn't hear what he said, but the Name's theatrical voice carried just fine, during one of those perfect pauses in everyone's conversation.

"Bit of a come down to go from fucking a Sorceress to being fucked by a Sorceress's Knight, isn't it?"

Where I was standing, I could see everything happen at once. Selphie and Irvine gasped and frowned respectively, I suspect more out of displeasure at the vulgarities in front of their darling than what was said. Quis narrowed her eyes and looked at me like I was to blame. Zell balled up his fists and bounced on his heels in a reaction I'm not too big to admit I missed from the old Chicken-Wuss days. Squall went from lily to glacial white.

Laguna Loire took a step back and fell in the pool, dragging his son and the Name with him.

I dismissed the spell I was conjuring and joined the rest of the crowd trying to help.

A short time later I had Squall safely in our room and in my lap as I toweled off his hair.

Kiros had stopped by while he was changing to let me know the coast was clear. Despite the fact that Loire insisted he was merely the president and his notorious fondness for members of the Press, Esther was not and had never been a free or democratic society. There were some things you did not do and calling the beloved Prince and Hero a fag in front of Hyne and Everybody was one of them. The Name had been fished out of the pool, squeegeed off, and politely put on the next train out. Kiros and I agreed that there was no real reason for either of us to return to the party, anyway.

"I don't understand why if someone falls in the pool at a pool party he must immediately go take a hot shower."

I draped the towel over Squall's head and pulled him into my arms. He was shivering in the air conditioning. "It's like when it rains at the beach," I explained. "Everybody runs for cover."

"I never understood that, either."

I held him and tried to warm him. Squall was stiff in my arms, still angry or unsettled. I sighed. "I tried to warn you."

"Don't start."

"Squall, you're famous and I'm nefarious and people are gonna talk."

He pulled away from me. "I said, `Don't'!"

I pulled him back. "Don't shut me out!"

"Leave me alone," Squall hissed.

Just like that, we were kids again. He was hiding from me and I hated it. Squall started to stalk away, but I grabbed him by the upper arm - and got a slap, not a girly slap, but a skin crackling pimpslap. A sunburst of fury rolled over me and I smiled that old bully smile and threw him with an easy flex of my authority - superior strength - down on the padded bench.

Squall came up swinging and clipped me a good one on the nose. I roared and jumped on Squall, holding him down with my body. He thrashed, but I'm still bigger and heavier. Like I had done so many times before, I grinned triumphantly down at my little rival as he finally stopped his arching and twisting and glared up at the wall, refusing to look at me, out of breath and furious.

"Winner and still champion." I said, gloating.

Squall looked up at me like he had so many times before, flushed, angry, humiliated by losing so easily, and this time my little chocobo brain registered the other emotion in his silver storm eyes.

Like I wanted to do, and should have done, so many times before, I kissed him. No… I claimed his mouth with mine. Nothing that violent, that intense, could be called just `a kiss'.

Squall melted under me. This was not like the love making we had been indulging in near constantly for the last several weeks. This was going back in time and reliving something we had both been too inexperienced to understand four, five, six years ago. A chance to set some things right between us.

I moved so he wasn't trapped under me anymore, just held, protected. Squall reached up and put his arms around my neck, holding me against him. I could hear his heart pounding. I kissed my way up his breastbone to the pulse throbbing in his white throat. Squall slid hid hands down my body and untied the drawstring in my shorts as I reached for the scented lotion. He lifted his legs, rubbing against me, and soon we were joined.

This time, when I smiled down at Squall, he smiled up at me. His eyes fluttered closed and he tightened all around me. "Don't ever leave me," he whispered.

I kissed him again, gently this time, finding my release with his. "Never happen, Baby," I said.

How could I leave him? I loved him.


	5. Perks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seifer and Squall take the first big step to building a new life together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Pix, the finest FF8 smut writer ever. I never could have written this chapter without ya.

No one should have to go apartment hunting with Squall Leonhart.

Never one to run from duty, conflict or trouble, I stuck it out, and a mere three attempted homicides later, a miracle occurred and we found a place he would accept. I took my fingers from around his throat, signed the lease, and got ready for the Next Big Step in getting a life – moving in with my boyfriend.

Squall’s worldly possessions consisted of a gun blade, several herds of cattle worth of leather kink clothing, a box of old Weapons Monthly magazines. His contribution to the new place was nineteen boxes of sound system.

“Squall, we can’t afford this.”

“I can.” He brushed past me, carrying the large receiver box and a sack of cabling.

I looked at the spec book. “Dogs can’t even hear some of the ranges this puts out. What do we need it for?” At the eye roll I went back to flipping through the booklet. “What’s wrong with my CD player?”

“The speakers never even worked!”

“Well, it was cheap, but…”

Squall snatched the book out of my hands. “Seifer. Your speakers never worked right because you had them hooked up wrong. Never touch my sound system.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“That I hear a lot better than you and that you no mechanical skills to speak of.”

“No mech…?!” I narrowed my eyes. “Waitaminute, you junctioned Shiva for hearing boost? You leave her in all the time, even while listening to music?”

Squall turned away and started unpacking his new electronic baby.

I shook my head. “Squall, Squall, your head will be so full of holes, I’ll have to tattoo your name and address on the back of your hand.”

“Better get started unloading the truck. We’re double parked.”

I grumbled down the stairs and started ferrying boxes. It wasn’t like I wanted Squall carrying the heavy things up 2 flights of stairs with his legs still healing. Or that I couldn’t do it by myself. It’s just that it was Esther, and summer at that, and it was about a nanosecond before I was sweating like a blobra.

I hate to sweat.

Squall, of course, never sweats. He had the Goddess of Climate Control permanently fixed in his head, which worked so well he was wearing his typical working leathers despite the heat.

I bumped the door open with my knee, wondering for not the first time what B13HNF meant on the box and what was in it and did I really want the heavy damned thing. The door slammed closed behind me, as it had every single time I went outside.

“Can you prop the fucking door open?”

Squall said, “You said it let the A/C out.” He was on his knees and elbows, ass in the air, reading something in the instruction manual.

I paused to admire before stacking the box on top of the pile, torn between bitching and divesting Squall of those pants. “I’m sweating like a crooked contractor at a senate committee, that air conditioning isn’t doing shit.”

Squall connected some wires and crawled forward to check the outlet. “Turn it up. I’m never cold.”

I wisely waited until I was back outside to disagree. The things we do for love. I looked into the van and puzzled over Squall’s coding. Then I gave up and went to the boxes Irvine had packed and helpfully labeled “crap” and “more crap”. I guess Ol’ Sureshot wasn’t as thrilled as Squall to be doing menial labor for yours truly.

On a whim, I chose “Even more crap” to start with and hoisted it up. It was heavy enough to be holding two or three dead bodies. I got it up the stairs without losing my ability to reproduce and with only a major amount of cursing got the Hynebedamned door open again and came in.

Squall was still in the slap my ass position, but I didn’t have a hand free and was too hot and sweaty to care about how fine he looked. “You want to quit fucking with that and just hold the damned door?”

Squall turned around slowly, still on his knees. "You're in now, why should I hold the door?"

“Because this isn't the last box, that's why!” I growled. I hate it when I lose my temper and Squall does not.

“You need a break.”

I shook my head. “Not until we're finished. I don't want to have this to deal with tomorrow.” I looked around for a place to set the heavy crate down.

Squall advanced, sliding easily on his knees over the carpet. "Just a quickie." He looked up and licked his lips.

I shifted my weight. I cannot resist Squall when he is on his knees.

Faintly, I said, “What, here?”

“Why not here? It's our home, isn't it?” He reached up and opened my fly.

My body responded instantly to that, even though I was hot and sticky and still balancing a heavy fucking box of crap. I made the attempt at reason. “Squall…”

“You don't want me to?” Squall looked up at me through his shaggy bangs, his eyes glowing silver.

I stared down at him, transfixed. “Oh, I want you to.”

Problem was, I couldn’t set the box down without moving out of Squall's range and the look in Squall's eyes would not allow me to move far enough way to do that. I didn’t have much time to agonize over it, anyway, as he slide my cock out of my pants and drew intricate designs on it with the tip of his tongue.

I wanted to tangle my hands in Squall’s silky hair so badly I crushed the edges of the box. I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly, fighting for control. “Squalllllll…”

Squall wrapped his arms around my hips, holding me in place. He took me into his mouth and rubbed the underside of my shaft with his tongue. I squirmed and rocked my hips.

“Oh, Hyne, Squall…”

I rested my forehead against the edge of the box I was holding, my belly practically concave with restraint. Squall drew back his head and lapped at the tip of my cock. I shifted the weight in my arms and held the box away so I could watch. My legs were starting to tremble. “Yeah,” I whispered, “like that.”

He took just the tip back into the sweet heat of his mouth and moved his hands to hold and gently pull at the base of my shaft, drawing a rough growly sound out of me. I lifted the box higher to make sure I wouldn’t drop it on Squall.

Drifting up from outside I heard a very distinctive laugh. What was Laguna Loire doing here?!

Squall heard it too, and looked up at me, his eyes widening slightly.

“Squall, your dad…”

The little minx laughed wickedly and rolled his tongue over the head of my cock. I would have thrown the damned box at that point, but the only places it was likely to land were on Squall or the new sound system. I pushed forward, just a bit, and Squall obligingly swallowed my cock. I closed my eyes and moaned.

They opened again pretty damn quickly when I heard Laguna clomping up the stairs, singing, “O what a beautiful morning”. 

“Squall!” I hissed. I was panting and flushed and the muscles in my belly contracted. The rest of what I was going to say came out an inarticulate urgent sound. I held out the box again so I could look down at Squall again.

His face was flushed, too, but his eyes were sparkling with laughter and lust. Squall drew back to tease a little, then swallowed me again. He cupped and massaged my balls with one hand as he pumped with the other. I was so close that the sounds around me were fading to a high-pitched whine.

“Boys? Squall? Put your clothes on, here I come!” Laguna hollered cheerfully from the landing.

I closed my eyes and tried to force myself over the edge, which never works. I remembered that the door was of course unlocked and in fact, barely closed. Then all rational thought fled as I filled Squall’s mouth with my seed.

“Hey can’t answer? You got something in your mouth? I hope you’re not eating hot dogs …”

I dropped the box into Squall’s arms and ran for the rest room, holding my pants up with one hand. Squall fell on his back and lay there with the box on his chest, wiping his mouth and laughing, the brat.

Laguna opened the door and hopped over the threshold like it was a 6-inch dam. “Taadaaaaa!I brought lunch.” He waved a sack. “If you've already eaten... I figure I can manage to swallow ‘em.”

I cleaned myself up and came out of the bathroom, still panting like I’d just run a marathon.

Squall closed his eyes like he was in pain. He said faintly, "Sounds good, Laguna."

Laguna looked over at me. “Whoa, out of condition, or what, Almasy?” He set the paper sack down and helped Squall move the box I’d been holding for what felt like a year to use as a dinner table. The label caught his eye. “Even More Crap? Why do you have official Estherian documents in your home?”

Squall got up a little stiffly. “I’ll get drinks. What will you have?” He leaned up and kissed me quickly as he passed, letting me taste myself on his lips.

“More of those,” I said, and meant it.

“I’ll take a cold beer,” Laguna said, laying out hotdogs like little soldiers. “I got some with chili and some with that sour stuff and some plain...”

“You have a driver, Laguna? ... And where's Kiros?” Squall took on a slightly scolding tone. “Did you run away again?” He uncapped the beer for Laguna and me and handed them out, choosing bottle water for himself.

Laguna said indignantly, “I never run away! I’m a free agent! Free as the wind! Free as a bird! I ditched Kiros at the high pinkie restaurant because I wanted hotdogs, dammit, and he said something snide.”

I snickered and Squall rolled his eyes. “I'll be getting a phone call shortly.”

I looked around. “Is the phone even plugged in?”

“My cell phone is.” Squall waggled it at me.

Laguna gasped in mock astonishment. “You're supposed to plug them in? For the love of Hyne! Where?!” He patted his navel self-consciously as Squall face palmed.

To change the subject, I asked, “Ready to help unpack some boxes, Laguna?” I tried one of the sauerkraut dogs, not bad.

“I still don’t understand why you didn’t want to stay at the Palace.” I swear Laguna was pouting.

I looked at Squall. It’s his job to explain life to Daddy.

Squall said blandly, “Seifer is too noisy when he comes.”

As both Laguna and I choked, I thought, ‘And they said I was the bad boy.’

After lunch and the arrival of a flushed and embarrassed young Estherian Elite Guard whom Laguna introduced as “My Keeper du Jour,” the President was forced to admit he couldn’t stay and help muscle my giant dresser down the narrow hallway. “Sorry, State Business,” he said, without even a trace of sorrow. The Guard saluted and held the door open for him, but Laguna paused and turned back to us.

“I think I’ll get you curtain liners as a housewarming gift,” he said.

“Curtain liners?” I don’t think Squall was even quite sure what those were.

“Sure! Curtain liners. Block the light. Insulating, energy efficient. Make it dark so you can sleep in. Keep people from seeing right in, like from the parking lot.” Laguna waved and bounced out, leaving Squall and me staring at the large picture window.


End file.
